Beer-measuring device.



J. VAN GEEM.

BEER MEASURING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.29, I913.

' 6 a sectional view showlng JOHN VAN. GEEM, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA.

BEER-MEASURING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 2, 1917.

Application filed January 29, 1913. Serial No. 744,869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN VAN Gnnar, a citizen of the United States,residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Beer-Measuring Devices, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to beer measuring devices and consists in certainimprovements in the construction thereof as will be hereinafter fullydescribed and pointed out in the claims.

The device is particularly designed for measuring beer or liquids ofsimilar character. The correct measuring of such liquids is made verynecessary by the dispensing laws of many States which restrict theamount of such liquids that retailers can sell so that the sale of agreater amount than this by a retailer is an offense. The expansion ofthe gases in the liquid, if it is agitated varies its volume so greatlyas to make the measuring very difficult by the use of ordinary measuringutensils. A measuring device which agitates the liquid during themeasuring operation is unreliable because of the unequal expansion ofthese gases and the consequent varying volumes of the liquid. Anotherdifficulty in dispensing beer or like beverages heretofore encounteredhas been the retention in the device of a small amount of the beverageafter the closing of the dispensing passage and inasmuch as aconsiderable interval may elapse between the dispensing operations suchresidues become stale and objectionable.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide such a measuringdevice acting without such agitation of the beer as to vary the measuredvolume and to form such a device in a manner to prevent the retention ofthe liquid in such. a manner as to become stale.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the specification andclaims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as followsFigure 1 is a. partial section on the line 1-1 in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 asideelevation of the device, partly in section. Fig. 3 a side elevation ofpints. Fig. a a side elevation of the latch actuating cam for quarts.Fig. 5 a section showing the nozzle adjusting device. Fig.

' the handle operthe latch actuating cam for ating spring. Fig. l asectional through the controlling valve.

1 marks the inlet. This is ordinarily screw threaded so as to be readilysecured to the pipe leading to the cask or other dispensing receptacle.This is in the form of an extension on the valve body 2, the valve bodyhaving the way 3 leading to the inlet. The valve plug 1 has a way 5adapted to be brought into and out of register with the way 3, thedischarge way 6 leading from the way 5 is slightly tapered and leads toa nozzle 6. The nozzle is adjusted by the valve 6 wit-h a way 6 at oneside. The nozzle directs the flow to a measuring wheel cavity '2. Thiscavity is formed in a body 8 extending from the valve body 2 and isinclosed by a cap 9 which is screwed into the bod 8, the cap beingprovided with a shoulder which is brought into contact with the edge ofthe body 8. The measuring wheel 11 has the impeller blades 12 which arein the path of the liquid as it comes from the nozzle 6. The wheel isfixed on the shaft 13 and this shaft is carried in the bearings 14 and15 in the cap 9 and body respectively. The shaft 13 terminates in a worm16 which is outside the body 8 and this worm is adapted to be throwninto mesh with the worm gears 17 and 17. The worm gears 17 and 1'7 arecarried by the shafts 18 and 18 respectively and the shafts 18 and 18are journaled in the ears 19 and 19 respectively. The ears 19 and 19 arecarried by a sliding plate 20. The sliding plate 20 has the dove tail 2Oon its inner face which is adapted to operate in a dove tailed groove 20in the face of the body 8. The lever 20 view is journaled on the pin 20extending into the body 8. The upper end of this lever operates betweentwo of the ears 19 and 19 so that the movement of the lever iscommunicated to the plate 20. This lever is made of spring metal and isprovided at its lower end with ahandle 20 and projecting from the innerside of the lever is a pin 20 which snaps into the openings 20 in theplate 20*. As shown'in Fig. 2 the gear 17* is in mesh with hold of thehandle 20 the pin 20 may be pulled out of the opening 20 and the lever20 swung to the middle or neutral opening on the plate (see Fig. 2). Inthis position both the worm gears 17 and 17 will be thrown out of meshwith the worm 16 and the faucet may be used with the parts in this theworm 16. By taking 1 position as an ordinary faucet. 7 ing the catch 20to the opening 20 at the left of Fig. 2 the worm gear 17 may be throwninto mesh with the worm. A cam -21 is fixed on the shaft 18. It will benoted that this has two cam surfaces 2l"-21 so that with each rotationof the shafttwo cams 21 are brought into working position. A cam 21 isfixed on the shaft 18 It has but one cam surface 21 so that with eachrotation of the shaft 18 but one working surface or cam is brought intoworking position.

A latch 22 is provided with the arms 22 and 22 which are adapted tooperate on the cams 21 and 21 respectively. The latch 22 is pivoted on apin 23 in a post 24 extending from the frame 8. The latch is held incontact with the cams by a spring 25.

A handle 26 is fixed on the end of the valve plug 41-. The end of thehandle is provided with a cavity 27 in Which the coil spring 28 isarranged, the one end 28* being fixed in the valve body and the oppositeend 28 extending into the slot 28 in the handle. This spring isinitially under tension so that when the handle is released it turns thevalve plug so as to close the valve. A stop 28 is provided for limitingthe movement of the valve under the influence of the spring 28. Anadjustable catch in the form of a screw 29 is arranged to engage theshoulder 30in a trip lever 31. The trip lever 31 is pivoted on a pin 32at the end of the post 24:. It has a catch surface 33 which operates onthe surface 34: on the end of the latch 22. A stop 35 is arranged on thepost 24: and limits the swinging of the latch when released. The latch22 is actuated by the cams 21 and 21 so as to throw the surface 34 outof engagement with the surface 33. This releases the latch and permitsthe handle to swing to the dotted position shown in Fig. 2, thus closingthe valve. After the handle is tripped, the trip lever 31 assumes aposition by gravity carrying the shoulder 30 out of the path of thescrew 29 and brings the surface 36 into the path of the screw 29 and thestop or screw 29 operating on the surface 36 as cam forces the latchagainst the end of the lever 22, thus lifting the lever 22 against thetension of the spring 25 and swinging the working surface 33 intoposition to be engaged by th surface 34. As the handle 26 is released bythe operator, said handle engages the Shoulder 30, thus locking thevalve 4 open until the desired quantity has been run out.

By throwing the slide 20 so as to bring the worm gear 17 into engagementwith the worm, the cam 21 is made to operate and the lever 22 is trippedby the cam 21 on a half revolution of the shaft 18. In this wa'y'pintsmay be measured. Byesliding the plate By throw- 2 is closed through the20 so as tobring the worm gear 17* into mesh with the worm, the shaft 18may be made to operate and thus operating the cam 21 actuates' the triplever only once in a revolution and this is designed to measure quarts.By sliding the plate to the central position neither trip is used and byholding down the handle 26 or above the trip lever liquid may be drawnthrough the valve in the usual manner without measuring. It will benoted that by using the slide past the trip lever allowing the triplever to drop to engaging position. By interposing the trip leverbetween the handle and the latch, the pressure on the latch may be verymuch lessened so that the resistance to the movement of the measuringwheel may be as slight as possible. Where very light pressures are usedin the dispensing apparatus this'is essential the device.

The handle normally occupies the position shown in dotted linesin Fig. 2with the valve closed. When it is desired to dispense some liquid, thehandle is forced downwardly to the position shown in solid lines inFigs. 1 and 2, the catch 29 engaging the shoulder 30. The liquid firstflows through the ways 3, 5 and 6 into the wheel cavity 7 againsttheimpelling blades and thence to the discharge nozzle 37. The wheel 11 isrotated through the impact of the liquid upon it until the shaft 18 hasmade one half a revolution, 01 the shaft 18 a full revolution whenthrough the action of the cam upon the latch 22 the rear end of thelatch is lifted outwardly and theoperative end of the latch depressedout of the path of the surface 33. lever and thus the handle 26 and thevalve action of the spring 28.

to the success of This releases the trip,

It will be noted that the liquid passing through the ways through thedevice is carried by ways free from any abrupt changes of direction sothat the agitation ofthe liquid is very slight and consequently theliquid maintains auniform volume as it is discharged past the wheel. Itwill also be observed that the measuring device is drained of liquidwith each other words, the bottom of is so arranged as to drain itself.I prefer 111 addition to such arrangement of the dis operation. In 1 theoperating cavity from the valve to the discharge nozzle charge passagesto arrange the valve so as to drain the way in the VttlXe and to thisend the discharge way 6 extends horizontally or downwardly from thebottom of the plug cavity and connects the passage 6 with the way 5 whenthe valve is closed. A vent passage 38 is provided so that this way willreadily drain with the closing of the valve. From this it will beobserved that all the liquid is dispensed that is released from thedispensing pressure. There is no residue of liquid retained which maybecome stale or objectionable.

W'hat I claim as new is 1. In a beer measuring device, the combinationof a valve body having a valve passage, a plug valve having a waytherethrough; a wheel driven by the liquid coming from the valve; and abody for the wheel having a passage connecting with the valve passage,the passages in the wheel body and valve body being arranged to drain tothe discharge and the way in the valve connecting with said passageswhen the valve is closed.

2. In a beer measuring device, the combination of a valve; a wheeldriven by the beer coming from the valve; a valve body in which thewheel is mounted; a worm driven by the wheel; a worm gear actuated bythe worm; a cam rotating with the worm gear; a latch actuated by thecam; a handle for the valve; a catch on the handle operating inconnection with the latch to lock the valve open; and a. spring forclosing the valve, said latch being operated by the cam to release thehandle with a predetermined movement of the wheel.

3. In a. beer measuring device, the combination of a valve body having avalve passage; a plug valve having a way therethrough; a wheel driven bythe liquid passing the valve; and a body for the wheel having a passageconnecting with the valve passage, the passages leading from the valvebeing arranged to drain to the discharge, and the way in the valveconnecting said discharge passage when the valve is closed.

a. In a beer measuring device, the combination of a plug valve having away therethrough; a body for the valve having a dis charge passagedraining from the valve and connecting with the way in the valve whenthe valve is closed; a wheel driven by the liquid passing the valve; andautomiatio means for closing the valve controlled by the wheel.

5. In a beer measuring device the combination of a plug valve having away there- Qopies of this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, byaddressing the Washington, D. G.

' for automatically closing through; a body for the valve having adischarge passage draining from the valve and connecting with the way inthe valve when the valve is closed; a wheel driven by the liquid passingthe valve; and automatic means for closing the valve controlled by thewheel, said valve body having a vent connecting with the valve way withthe valve closed.

6. In a beer measuring device, the combination of a valve having waysand passages therethrough terminating in a nozzle; a wheel driven by thebeer coming through the valve and in position to receive the impact andto be driven by said liquid; means the valve with a given movement ofthewheel; and devices for adjusting the nozzle to vary the action of theliquid on the wheel.

7. In a beer measuring device, the combination of a wheel; a valve;means for antomatically actuating the valve; a trip device; a slide; twogears mounted on the slide; means on the wheel adapted to be thrown intomesh with either gear on the slide; and trip cams actuated by saidgears, said cams being arranged to be actuated by a diiferent number ofturns of the wheel to effect the tripping action.

8. In a beer measuring device, the combination of a measuring wheel; ashaft on which it is mounted; a worm on said shaft; two worm gearsadapted to be thrown into mesh with said worm; a plate on which saidgears are mounted; means for locking the plate in neutral position andin mesh with each of said gears; a valve controlling the flow of beer;means for automatically closing the valve; and a tripping mechanismactuated by either of said gears, said tripping mechanism in connectionwith said gears being adapted to vary the volume.

9. In a beer measuring device, the combination of a valve controllingthe flow; means for automatically closing the valve; a tripping device;a wheel actuated by the beer; a connection between the wheel and thetripping device: means for varying the connection to vary the volumenecessary to effect the tripping action, said means having a neutralposition for throwing the tripping mechanism out of action.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOHN VAN GEEM.

Witnesses:

C. D. HIGBY, T. R. LEX.

Commissioner of Patents.

